2 From the Editor: Jesus, Joshua, or Yashua? Must you use Hebrew words for the Father and the Son?

5 Study the Bible Course Lesson 14: Are humans immortal? Did that idea originate from the Bible?

12 Did the Apostles teach the Gospel of the Kingdom? What does the Bible teach?

17 The European Beast is Rising Up The late evangelist Raymond McNair wrote about this. There is also additional information beyond what he wrote showing that what he expected is happening.

22 When Should You Be Anointed? The late David Jon Hill gives his perspective on that.

Bible News Prophecy magazine is the official magazine of the Continuing Church of God and it has articles on a wide variety of subjects of Christian interest. It is produced in multiple languages and comes out quarterly.

And it is given away free, for Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).

Statements from and statements attributed to US President Donald Trump are impacting Europe:

30 June 2018

The US Department of Defense is examining options for withdrawing US forces stationed in Germany after President Donald Trump expressed interest in such a move, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

The newspaper, citing anonymous sources familiar with the evaluation, said officials were analyzing the cost and consequences of shifting either some or all 35,000 US troops to the US or Poland. Top defense officials, the paper said, have not been involved in the analysis.

The US Department of Defense rejected The Washington Post‘s report on Friday evening. …

Trump had reportedly showed interest in shifting US forces during a White House meeting earlier in the year after he had voiced shock at how many US troops were in Germany, the largest contingent of US forces in Europe. …

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump, less than two weeks before a NATO summit in Brussels, on Friday repeated his complaint that Germany and other European nations need to spend more on the military alliance. …

NATO members have agreed to spend 2 percent of economic output on defense every year by 2024, but Germany and Spain are among the countries not expected to meet the target. …

Europe perceives Donald Trump as a bully who is making threats to harm Europe. There is an expression in English, “be careful what you wish for.” In this case, Europe will end up spending more on its defense and it will NOT end well for the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39).

Europe is pursuing its own defense, as it established something called PESCO, partially in response to Donald Trump. Here are a couple of items related to PESCO in the past week:

The European Council on June 25 adopted a decision establishing a common set of governance rules for 17 projects related to a Permanent Structured Cooperation on security and defence (PESCO), as outlined in the Treaty of the EU.

One of the aims of PESCO is for EU member states to increase their effectiveness in addressing security challenges and advancing towards further integrating and strengthening defence cooperation within the EU framework.

Six European Union states signed a Declaration of Intent on Monday, June 25, to create rapid response teams to help countering cyber attacks under the Permanent Structured Cooperation on defense (PESCO), the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced. …

More and more European leaders are pointing to Donald Trump as a reason for Europe to take actions and further unify:

Former French prime minister Manuel Valls spoke about populism, nationalism, and democracy at an event in New York earlier this month. He was addressing the obstacles to European integration when he said this:

And we may have one extraordinary opportunity. And that is Mr. Trump, because it forces Europeans to respond. . . . We have, thanks to Trump, thanks to Putin, thanks to China’s strategy, we have a challenge, and we have to respond to it.

An initial observation: In these remarks, the president of the United States rounds out a category of global threats on par with China’s destabilizing rise and Russia’s crusade against world order.

A second thought: These remarks are the new normal. Valls isn’t the only European who thinks like this, nor the only one willing to voice these thoughts in public; Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas made similar comments recently lamenting “a world radicalized by nationalism, populism, and chauvinism.” Like Valls, he placed the United States in the same category as Russia and China. And they’re far from the first European leaders to have used this rhetorical formulation. …

Since more now consider the USA to be an unreliable ally, the Europeans have concluded that they need to take care of themselves.

Europe WILL GO a separate way from the USA.

It was precisely because of how Donald Trump approached Europe and how he was viewed by Europe that I told people he could be elected as the President of the USA. This is mainly because of biblical prophecies pointing to the end of the Anglo-American world order and the rise of the Gentile European order.

While most writers are not looking at biblical prophecies, more and more are seeing issues between the USA and Europe.

Trump’s latest lies are an open attack on the German government and the European Union. This U.S. president was never a partner. He is an aggressive opponent and should be treated as such. …

Regarding Donald Trump’s intentions, by contrast, there can no longer be any doubt. Since taking office, he has carried out a scorched-earth policy against multi-lateral treaties of all kinds. He is a man with no interest in foreign policy, seeing it merely as an instrument to pursue his “America First” ideology. He views cooperation as a weakness, the latest proof being the US withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Trump acts quite openly. And now, the American president has turned his attentions toward launching a disinformation campaign against Germany. …

No, this U.S. president was never a partner. He is a hostile opponent. We should finally start to treat him as such and act accordingly. Summoning the U.S. ambassador for a formal protest would be a good first step. Furthermore, relations to this U.S. government should be reduced to a bare minimum. It is also no longer necessary to pretend to be on friendly terms. Germany and the European Union should abandon polite self-restraint when dealing publicly with Trump and his government. We can’t completely cut off the channels of communication, but they should be used sparingly.

Notice the following from EU Council President Donald Tusk last month:

Looking at latest decisions of @realDonaldTrump someone could even think: with friends like that who needs enemies. But frankly, EU should be grateful. Thanks to him we got rid of all illusions. We realise that if you need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of your arm.

Notice also something last month from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker:

15 May 2018

As many voiced their concerns over Donald Trump’s move, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker did not remain on the sidelines either, slamming Washington for “no longer” willing to “cooperate with other parts of the world.”

14. Europe Will Work to Reorganize and Have a Great Army

The Bible shows that Europe will reorganize:

12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13).

One of the “grey swans” that Nomura expects is a United States of Europe:

A United States of Europe

2018 presents a unique political opportunity for the European Union and in particular those countries within the euro area to forge closer ties and perhaps embark upon a political journey that will end with the creation of a ‘United States of Europe’ – the longstanding dream of many federalists within the continent. The reasons for the propitious backdrop are threefold.

Less focus on domestic politics …

Brexit in the background …

Fixing the roof while the sun is shining: One of the lessons learnt from the global financial crisis and the euro crisis that followed is to fix the roof while the sun is shining and don’t wait for when it rains. European growth is at its strongest in years. The EU unemployment rate has fallen from 11% in 2013 to 7.4% currently and shows no signs of stopping. The low in the previous boom period was 6.8% and at the current run rate that could be achieved in under 12 months. Increasing the pace of integration will bring with it some risks and possibly even some J-curve impacts. This suggests there is no better time to undertake this project than now.

Something like a United States of Europe cannot be built in a year. But steps on a path that the market understands to be leading there can be taken. A grey swan event for 2018 is that European politicians understand the temporal opportunity they have been given, and undertaking such a path starting with a treaty change that leads to increased mutualisation of debts and sharing of risks. It is important to note that comments from key European leaders are heading in this direction. You can see it in the rhetoric of Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the Union address, Macron’s united defence speech and in Martin Schulz’s latest, looking for a United States of Europe by 2025. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-18/10-grey-swans-events-2018

As regular readers of the COGwriter.com Church of God News page are aware, the idea of a United States of Europe has been something that Church of God leaders have written about for decades–and Nomura s correct that Brexit is a factor (watch also Forbes’ Brexit Monster is the Beast of Revelation).

The prophesied reorganization will not happen in 2018, but expect calls to reorganize Europe.

Notice the following Catholic private prophecy about a leader rising up in Europe:

St. Francis of Paola (Born in Italy, 15th century). “By the grace of the Almighty, the Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers. He will have a great army, and angels will fight at his side. He will be like the sun among the stars. His influence will spread over the whole earth. All in all, there will be on earth twelve Kings, one Emperor, one Pope and a few Princes. They will all lead holy lives.” (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy. TAN Books, 1973, p.38)

Why bother with that? Well, it is consistent with the following scriptures:

24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. (Daniel 11:24-25)

Notice that the ‘he,’ which is a European power, will first seem peaceful, but will have a great army!

Catholic prophecy is favorable towards him and calls him the ‘Great Monarch.’ The Bible warns against him and calls him the Beast of the Sea (Revelation 13:1-10) and the final King of the North (Daniel 11:40).

While most do not believe that Europe can or ever will destroy the USA, consider the following prophecies:

5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations. … 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”(Isaiah 10:5-7,12).

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:39)

In the 21st century, it is the USA with the strongest fortresses. The power with the strongest fortresses wll be taken over by the European Beast power. Technology, as well as deception, will be factors in the military takeover of the USA. This will cause the world to marvel.

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3-4)

People will be shocked when Europe shows it is a militarily successful power. It is now taking steps that will lead to the fulfillment of various warring prophecies.

Europe is moving forward with its unification and military plans and few in the USA seem to realize that when it gets enough power, the USA will lose all of its. Europe will reorganize (Revelation 17:12-13).

Europe is getting increasingly frustrated with the USA on international matters and is taking steps related to trade. Europe, not the USA, will dominate trade for a time this century (cf. Revelation 18; watch also our latest BNP video: Trade Disputes: CCOG Warnings Are Coming to Pass).

While some will correctly point out that the USA has the world’s predominant reserve currency as well as a large military advantage over other nations, the USA’s overconfidence and debt, combined with its excessive sharing of military technology with Europe, as well as pressuring the Europeans to spend more on military matters, is putting it at risk.

The Bible shows that the Europeans will defeat the land of the “strongest fortresses” (Daniel 11:39).

BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES!

The Apostle Peter was inspired to write:

3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4)

What is going on between the USA and Europe shows that things ARE changing.

Those who think that the USA will continue to lead the world indefinitely are deceiving themselves.

The USA is pushing Europe to rise up against it.

The distancing of Europe from the USA is encouraging them to build their military. Since Donald Tusk is thanking Donald Trump for busting illusions that the USA and Europe should be friends, Europeans are being publicly told that they cannot rely on the USA anymore. And this means in matters of defense.

Donald Trump’s actions will be a factor in the rise of the EuropeanKing of the North Beast power. The USA will one day be destroyed per Daniel 11:39 by a European power.

The word Canada is not mentioned in the Bible. But the ancestors of the Canadians are. Which people in the Bible did the Anglo-Saxon Canadians descend from? Do Jewish sources teach that the Canadians descended from Ephraim or Joseph? What do biblical prophecies teach will happen to those people? Were they promised physical blessings? When did those blessings get realized? What about punishments? Will Canada be hit by more terrorism? Does Canada endorse aspects of biblical censorship? Does God have a 6000/7000 year plan that will affect Canada? Will Canada one day be taken over and many of its surviving people made slaves? Will Canada and the USA turn against each other? Are there Catholic and other prophecies outside the Bible that may come to pass? Why is Canada subject to punishment–and by who? What does Canada need to do? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Each year, the Congressional Budget Office issues a set of long-term budget projections—that is, projections of what federal spending, revenues, deficits, and debt would be for the next 30 years if current laws generally did not change. This report is the latest in the series.

• In CBO’s projections, the federal budget deficit , relative to the size of the economy, grows substantially over the next several years, stabilizes for a few years, and then grows again over the rest of the 30-year period, leading to federal debt held by the public that would approach 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the next decade and 152 percent by 2048. Moreover, if lawmakers changed current laws to maintain certain policies now in place—preventing a significant increase in individual income taxes in 2026, for example—the result would be even larger increases in debt.

• The federal government’s net interest costs are projected to climb sharply as interest rates rise from their currently low levels and as debt accumulates. Such spending would about equal spending for Social Security, currently the largest federal program, by the end of the projection period.

• Noninterest spending is projected to rise from 19 percent of GDP in 2018 to 23 percent in 2048, mainly because of increases in spending for Social Security and the major health care programs (primarily Medicare). Much of the spending growth for Social Security and Medicare results from the aging of the population. Growth in spending for Medicare and the other major health care programs is also driven by rising health care costs per person. • Revenues, in contrast, are projected to be roughly flat over the next few years relative to GDP, rise slowly … https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/115th-congress-2017-2018/reports/53919-2018ltbo.pdf

Here are two reports about it:

The effects of the TCJA on the long-term budget outlook

The long-term projections include prior CBO estimates that the TCJA would increase investment, employment, and output, offsetting an estimated $571 billion of the law’s costs. The CBO estimates with this macroeconomic feedback, the TCJA will increase the deficit by $1.854 trillion (including interest expense) over the 2018-2028 period. After scheduled expirations take place, though, the CBO notes, “Despite that uncertainty, the overall effects of the permanent provisions of the act, including their macroeconomic feedback, are projected to reduce the primary deficit somewhat from 2029 to 2048.” If Congress were to extend the individual income tax cuts, the long-term impact would change.

Overall, the report projects that increases in spending, driven by an aging population and rising health-care costs, will grow faster than revenues, and lead to structural imbalances in the federal budget. Both spending and revenue as a share of GDP are projected to be larger than their 50-year averages, and federal debt held by the public is projected to reach 152 percent of GDP by 2048. The report cautions that the longer lawmakers wait, the greater policy changes would need to be to reach any particular goal for federal debt.06/28/18 https://taxfoundation.org/congressional-budget-office-projects-spending-growth-will-outpace-revenue-growth/

In its analysis, the CBO assumes the law’s individual-income-tax cuts will expire before the end of this decade. In writing the bill, Republicans set those rates to expire as part of an effort to get their measure to comply with the procedural rules they used to pass it through the Senate. But GOP leaders repeatedly said the tax cuts will not be allowed to expire, promising a future Congress will act to extend them. If the individual tax cuts are extended, the law’s projected additions to the deficit would probably increase dramatically. 06/27/18 https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/06/26/cbo-us-debt-will-almost-equal-economy-by-2028/

I believe that the CBO is being optimistic as massive debt will be worse for the USA than it believes. As the reports above suggest, there are reasons to be less optimistic than the CBO.

While many Americans take pride in the USA dollar, it will one day be worth no more than its scrap value. Increasing debt decreases the value of currency.

The Bible teaches the following about debt in general and end time debt in particular:

7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)

43 The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you…47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you (Deuteronomy 28:42-45,47-52)

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry…5 Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man… 6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his–how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you (Habakkuk 2:3,5,6-8).

The nation with the greatest debt of all time is the United States of America, and on a per capita basis may be the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (and they are close if not the per capita debt leader).

It is the United States and its Anglo-allies that have loaded pledges of debt in these end times that they really do not expect to pay back. The debt problems in the USA are bigger than most Americans realize. The federal government has over $21,000,000,000,000 in debt, and this does not count the trillions that the Federal Reserve owes or future debts. The total of all known debt in the USA is so high, that it is not reasonable to conclude that it can be paid off in comparable value short of some major development. Debt will one day result in massive inflation and interest rates that the indebted USA will not properly deal with.

This does not bode well for the USA.

While some place their hopes in US President Donald Trump, he is not one who opposes debt.

Donald Trump and many other American politicians have not run away from increasing U.S.A. debt—that will be to the nation’s peril. …

Although as president Donald Trump inherited a debt-laden nation, his policies, according to his own public pronouncements will continue to lead to, increased U.S.A. debt. … Increasing national debt will lead to destruction at the appointed time of the end (Habakkuk 2:3–8). (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, pp. 35,37)

This is coming to pass. Biblical prophecies are being fulfilled.

Donald Trump once claimed:

I’m the king of debt. I love debt. (Egan M. Donald Trump: ‘I’m the king of debt.’ CNN, May 7, 2016)

Donald Trump also said:

I have borrowed, knowing that you can pay back with discounts. And I have done very well with debt. Now, of course, I was swashbuckling, and it did well for me and it was good for me and all that. …

Now we’re in a different situation with a country, but I would borrow knowing that if the economy crashed you could make a deal. And if the economy was good it was good so therefore you can’t lose. …

I don’t want to renegotiate the bonds, but I think you can do discounting. … I’m not even suggesting that we don’t borrow money at very low rates long term so we don’t have to worry about when they come due. (Kurtzleben D. Donald Trump’s Messy Ideas For Handling The National Debt, Explained. NPR, May 9, 2016)

Nobody knows debt better than me. I’ve made a fortune by using debt and if things don’t work out, I renegotiate the debt. Well, you go back and you say, ‘hey, guess what? The economy just crashed. I’m going to give you back half. (“Trump recession”? Presumptive GOP nominee fires back at Clinton. CBS, June 22, 2016)

It sounds like Donald Trump believes that debt is good and there is nothing wrong with defaulting or otherwise not intending to pay the total debt back. Other USA politicians have also basically suggested paying the debt back in inflated currency or something else other than the original value of the debt.

The Bible says the wicked have that attitude:

21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. (Psalms 37:21)

Donald Trump has also filed for bankruptcy four times—presumably to not pay back debt, while he claims a financial worth around $10 billion.

He may consider that to be ‘good business,’ but his practices and intents sound biblically immoral.

Yet he, many politicians, and many in the mainstream press seem to love debt.

The debt situation will not turn out well for the USA or UK. It will end in their destruction (Daniel 11:39; Isaiah 17:3).

To learn more about how this will all turn out, please check out the following:

The President of the European Council and others have reported on an EU migration deal:

EU Leaders Reach Agreement on Migration

June 29, 2018

European Union leaders reached a deal early Friday morning on migration.EU Council President Donald Tusk said in a tweet early Friday that the 28 EU “leaders have agreed” on a compromise that was at the heart of their two-day summit.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the agreement was “good news” and “European cooperation” prevailed over the talks that began Thursday evening and ended at dawn Friday.

​The deal establishes reception centers for migrants and asylum seekers in EU member states that volunteer to have them. According to Reuters, they also agreed to share refugees arriving in the bloc on a voluntary basis and to share responsibility for migrants rescued at sea, a key demand of Italy.

“Italy is not alone anymore,” said its new Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Italy had blocked the adoption of any agreements at the European Union summit in Brussels, demanding that the bloc do more to help Rome’s migration crisis.

Conte said Italy will decide later whether it will host any reception centers. …

EU sources described the talks as “virulent,” according to the French news agency.

Summit participants are planning to set up screening facilities in North African countries to slow the stream of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get to the EU, often through Italy. While no countries have as yet agreed to host such screening posts, EU leaders hope to entice them with aid money. …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was among the most open to accepting migrants during the height of the crisis, is under pressure at home from critics who say Germany has been too welcoming.

She told parliament Thursday before heading to Brussels that she made the right decision in an exceptional situation, but that with the current situation the EU should put in place tighter controls. Merkel said that while there is division among members, they are united in the need to reduce overall migration, stop smugglers and strengthen the EU’s external borders. https://www.voanews.com/a/eu-leaders-agreement-migration/4459702.html

June 29, 2018

The implementation of a migration deal will be difficult, the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, told a news conference …

“As regards our deal on migration, it is far too early to talk about a success,” said Tusk after EU leaders clinched an agreement in bitter all-night talks.

Most of the immigrants this plan is expected to deal with are Islamic–and yes there will be difficulties. We will see how well this deal works out. Some thought that this meeting would split Europe, but it did not. Despite prophesied unity issues (Daniel 2:41-43), the Bible says Europe will get together and rise up (Revelation 17:12-13).

Because of biblical prophecies, many of which seem to be confirmed in non-biblical ones, I have expected a deal to change the influx of Arabic and African Muslims into Europe.

The Bible shows that there will be a non-Islamic, non-Christian, religion that will be a requirement in Europe:

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. (Revelation 13:1-9)

The above leader will NOT tolerate full Islam in his land. Furthermore, he will use persecution and murder to enforce worship:

10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,

17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:10-11)

Pseudo-Methodius(7th century): Muslims will be killed and they will know the tribulation…The Lord will give them to the powers of the Christians whose empire will be elevated above all empires…The Roman King (Great Monarch) will show a great indignation against those who will have denied Christ in Egypt or in Arabia (Araujo, Fabio R. Selected Prophecies and Prophets. BookSurge LLC, Charlestown (SC), 2007, p. 103).

Rudolph Gekner (died 1675). “A great prince of the North with a most powerful army will traverse all Europe, uproot all republics, and exterminate all rebels. His sword moved by Divine power will most valiantly defend the Church of Jesus Christ. He will combat on behalf of the true orthodox faith, and shall subdue to his dominion the Mahometan Empire.” (Cited in Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p.36).

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. (Daniel 11:40-43)

The ‘Great Monarch’, also called the ‘great prince of the North’, that is spoken of above is quite similar to the final King of the North that the Bible warns against. Both Catholic and biblical prophecy teach that this leader will be a European, probably at least partially of German heritage and he will fight those of the Arab/African lands (watch also Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies).

Notice that a Catholic has claimed that the ‘great prince of the North’ is expected to subdue an Islamic Empire. Notice also that the Bible teaches that the ‘king of the North‘ will go into the Middle East and North Africa and eliminate the leader called the ‘king of the South.’ The lands of the ‘king of the South’ are currently Islamic. Perhaps it should be mentioned that Syria is expected to support the confederation of the king of the South (see also Ezekiel 30:2-8), though the time will come that its capital will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1).

Although we need to rely on the Bible, and not ‘private Catholic prophecies,’ notice the way some of them mirror the Bible. This should give us pause to consider that some who claim Catholicism will point to them as part of their justification for actions they may take in the future.

As I have written before, do not be surprised that Islam will be pushed out of Europe to a major degree (Daniel 11:36-38; Revelation 13:4,8,11-17). The deal that was agreed to today, while subject to adjustment, is just one step.

The Europeans will not be as civil in the future as they are acting now.

The readings we have just heard link us to the apostolic Tradition. That Tradition “is not the transmission of things or words, an assortment of lifeless objects; it is the living stream that links us to the origins, the living stream in which those origins are ever present” (BENEDICT XVI, Catechesis, 26 April 2006) and offer us the keys to the Kingdom of heaven (cf. Mt 16:19). A Tradition ancient yet ever new, … https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-homily-for-the-feast-of-saints-peter-and-paul-4/

On this Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the principal patrons of Rome, we welcome with joy and gratitude the Delegation sent by the Ecumenical Patriarch, our venerable and beloved brother Bartholomaios, and led by Metropolitan Ioannis. Let us ask the Lord that this visit too may strengthen our fraternal bonds as we journey toward that full communion between the two sister Churches which we so greatly desire. http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/06/29/homily_for_the_solemnity_of_saints_peter_and_paul/1102327

Interestingly, according to certain Catholic and Eastern Orthodox scholars and priests, Peter and Paul were not the patrons/founders of the Church in Rome–despite ‘tradition.’

Here are some Roman Catholic sources:

Neither Peter nor Paul founded the Church at Rome, for there were Christians in the city before either of the Apostles set foot there. Nor can we assume, as Irenaeus did, that the Apostles established there a succession of bishops to carry on their work in the city, for all the indications are that there was no single bishop at Rome for almost a century after the deaths of the Apostles. In fact, where ever we turn, the solid outlines of the petrine succession at Rome seem to blur and dissolve…

Neither Paul, Acts nor any of the Gospels tells us anything direct about Peter’s death, and none of them even hints that the special role of Peter could be passed on to any single ‘successor’. There is, therefore, nothing directly approaching a papal theory in the pages of the New Testament (Duffy, Eamon. Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes. Yale University Press, New Haven (CT), 2002, pp.2,6).

Antonio Ferrua …was the Jesuit archaeologist responsible for uncovering what is believed to be the tomb of St Peter in the grottoes under St Peter’s Basilica in Rome…Ferrua was more circumspect. Aware of the scepticism that surrounded even the analysis of the Greek fragment – which others had read as Petros endei or “Peter is not here” – he recently told the Italian Catholic newspaper L’Avvenire that he was “not convinced” that the saint’s bones had been found…A man of deep faith, Ferrua was a rigorous scholar, much admired for his refusal to allow his beliefs to compromise his work (The Rev Antonio Ferrua. Telegraph, London – May 29, 2003 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1431338/The-Rev-Antonio-Ferrua.html viewed 07/20/09)

Irenaeus focuses on the church of Rome which he describes as “greatest, most ancient and known to all, founded and established by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul.” Here we must acknowledge a bit of rhetoric, as the church of Rome was obviously not so ancient as those of Jerusalem or Antioch, nor was it actually founded by Peter or Paul(Sullivan F.A. From Apostles to Bishops: the development of the episcopacy in the early church. Newman Press, Mahwah (NJ), 2001, p. 147).

ALTHOUGH CATHOLIC TRADITION, BEGINNING IN the late second and early third centuries, regards St. Peter as the first bishop of Rome and, therefore, as the first pope, there is no evidence that Peter was involved in the initial establishment of the Christian community in Rome (indeed, what evidence there is would seem to point in the opposite direction) or that he served as Rome’s first bishop. (McBrien, Richard P. Lives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to Benedict XVI. Harper, San Francisco, 2005 updated ed., p.25).

Some of the Eastern/Greek Orthodox use even stronger terms:

From the outset we must clarify that we Orthodox, not taking part in the politically correct spirit of western and especially ecumenist “Christianity,” do not refer to those religious communities who have, sadly, been separated from the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church as “Churches.” But, following the example of our Holy Fathers throughout the ages, refer to them as heretics, and you, Your Excellency, and your followers, we denominate as “Papists” and your heresy as “Papism.”…

That the Apostle Peter did not travel to Rome after the composition of his first epistle is witnessed to in his second catholic epistle, understanding , of course, that this epistle was obviously written for the Gentile Christians, whereas the first was written for the Jewish Christians. In this epistle there is also no mention of city of Rome.

Finally, the fact that, near the end of his life, the Apostle Peter did not journey to Rome is verified by the Apostle Paul’s second epistle to Timothy, in which he writes: “At my first defense no one took my part; all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the message fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it.” From this epistle of the Apostle Paul, which was written near the end of his life, it is clearly verified, that during its writing, the Apostle Peter was not in Rome, otherwise the Apostle Paul would out of necessity have mentioned it.

Moreover, it is clear that before the composition of this epistle, the Apostle Peter had not traveled to Rome. If he had already preached there it would not be possible for the Apostle Paul to write that “also in Rome the Gentiles were taught and heard the preaching by him.”

When we add to these Biblical witnesses all that is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles regarding the Apostle Paul’s first journey to Rome, something that we will expand upon shortly, along with his epistle to the Romans, we come to the indubitable conclusion that, before the Apostle Paul’s first journey to Rome and also before the composition of his second epistle to Timothy, the Apostle Peter had not traveled to Rome…

Regardless, however, of the time and place of the death of the Chiefs of the Apostles, in our opinion, the most significant witness to the fact that the Apostle Peter did not travel to Rome before the Apostle Paul, and therefore that he did not found the Church in Rome, is concluded from the juxtaposition of the epistle to the Romans with the Acts of the Apostles regarding the Apostle Paul’s first journey to Rome…

Consequently, the Apostle Peter had not journeyed to Rome before the composition of this epistle, that is, before 58 A.D. Perhaps he made the journey during the two – year period that intervened between the writing of the epistle and the Apostle Paul’s first visit to Rome? For us, that which is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles regarding the Apostle Paul’s first visit to Rome, and his subsequent two – year stay, rules this out completely…

As for the fifth detail, that Peter and Paul meet their end at the same time (in Rome), we find no witnesses save apocryphal sources, which are bereft of validity…The witness of Origen regarding the death of Paul in Rome under Nero is refuted by Clement of Rome, who wrote “and come to the extreme limit of the West, and suffered martyrdom under the prefects.”…

And so, it is nowhere proved that the Apostle Peter traveled to Rome, nor that he preached and died there. Rather the opposite is witnessed to by the Holy Scriptures and Ecclesiastical History…

After reading the above, your recent presentation of the alleged Holy Relics of the Apostle Peter, unknown for two centuries, strikingly presents the tragic character of your religious system…

Yet, despite the fact that the Apostle Peter is not buried in St. Peter’s, etc., the Eastern Orthodox will end up with unity with the Church of Rome. Both biblical and Catholic prophecies warn this will happen, and although much of the media will endorse this, it will not be good for the Roman nor Eastern Orthodox Catholics, nor the Protestants for that matter.

As far as the Protestant go, there was another meeting with them a few days ago. Charismatic Ken Copeland and others met with the Pope (the original report is in Italian, with the machine-translated English version below it):

Francis met with the important ‘evangelical leaders’ plan for the alliance between the Roman Catholic Church and the Evangelical, or rather establish a “unity in diversity”. The meeting was held at the Vatican June 24, 2014 at the Palace of Santa Marta. Here are the names of those who met with him: John and Carol Arnott (founder of Catch The Fire), Kenneth Copeland (founder of KCM Ministries), James Robison (founder of Life Outreach Int), Geoff Tunnicliffe (Head of Worldwide Evangelical Alliance that is the World Evangelical Alliance). There was also Tony Palmer (Bishop Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches)…

Shameful and scandalous.

LEAVE AND SEPARATE FROM THE AEI { l’Alleanza Evangelica Italiana}. Look and turn away from all those who promote this unholy alliance or unity in diversity.

The ecumenical movement is going forward, though some few are realizing some of the dangers of it.

Some Protestants and some Eastern Orthodox keep trying to have ecumenical unity with Rome. Sadly, many more of them will join in this disastrous unity as well.

Some have wondered if the 6000 years God allowed humans to rule themselves is almost up, why do most of the Jews claim we have over two centuries to go?

Well, according to what several have concluded, it was essentially the result of a Jewish coverup!

At the Feast of Trumpets, which they normally call Rosh Hashanah, Jews proclaim a New Year. The current one from sunset September 20, 2017 to September 9, 2018 is year they call 5778 or 5778 AM (anno mundi).

One Jewish scientist is claiming the Jews have based their calculations on picking a wrong year:

The Hebrew calendar year 6,000, 222 years from now, marks the end of the age of the Messiah but scientist Saul Kullook, has calculated a different date, potentially bringing redemption much closer.

Kullook has made an intense study into physical-mathematical structures contained in the Hebrew Bible and the ancient tradition of Israel. …

As a preface to Kullook’s latest discovery, he cited the Talmud (Tractate Avodah Zarah 9a) which states that the world will last for 6,000 years. This is broken down into three periods: for 2,000 years, the world stood empty, for 2,000 years the world existed “in Torah”, and the final 2,000 years will be the age when the Messiah may come, depending on mankind’s actions. At the end of the 6,000 years, the Messiah must come, even if mankind has not prepared itself.

According to the current Hebrew calendar, the current year is 5778, meaning the age of the Messiah is set to end in 222 years, or 2240 CE. …

Kullook explained the discrepancy.

“Our current Hebrew calendar is based on the Rabbinical work Seder Olam Rabbah, introduced in the Second Century CE,” he said. “It provides the base for the current Hebrew calendar and calculates it according to the destruction of the First Temple in 422 BCE, which introduces a difference of 164 years in relation to the scholarly counting for past historical events.”

Kullook explained how the Seder Olam Rabbah came to this conclusion.

“Torah sources are in agreement that the biblical Exodus took place in the year 2,448 according to the Hebrew Bible chronology. After that, there were 480 years until the First Temple was built,” Kullook said, citing the Book of Kings.

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left the land of Egypt, in the month of Ziv—that is, the second month—in the fourth year of his reign over Yisrael, Shlomo began to build the House of Hashem. I Kings 6:1

Kullook went on to describe the timeline.

“According to the Talmud (Tractate Yoma 9a), the First Temple was destroyed 410 years after it was built,” he said. “This means that the time of destruction of the First Temple according to the Hebrew Bible chronology was the year 3,338 (2,448+480+410). Hence, the year 4,000, from when the Messianic age starts, will have begun 662 years after destruction of the First Temple (3,338 + 662 = 4,000).”

“According to Seder Olam Rabbah and our current Hebrew calendar, the destruction of the First Temple took place in 442 BCE. This means that Seder Olam Raba and our current Hebrew calendar are out of synch with modern historical records concerning the destruction of the Temple. It introduces a difference of 164 years in relation to the scholarly counting for past historical events.”

“According to the counting of the Hebrew Calendar as set by Seder Olam Rabbah, the year 6000 will be in 222 years,” Kullook noted.”But if you figure the age of moshiach (Messiah) according to the Talmud and what we now know about the historical timing of the destruction of the First Temple, on this basis, the age of moshiach begins in 58 years.”

Stated simply, Kullook discovered that if you base the end of times, scheduled to arrive in the year 6,000 according to the current Hebrew Calendar which places the destruction of the First Temple in 442 BCE, the age of Moshiach will last until 2,240 CE. But if you base the end of times on a date of destruction of the First Temple in the historically accurate 586 BCE, the year 6,000 of the Hebrew chronology falls in 2076 CE.

Well, it is actually later than that as the numbers do not add up with scripture. But before getting to that, let me state that according to that Talmud citation from Saul Kullook, the Messiah was to come about 2000 years ago, and Jesus did.

Anyway, I have heard various explanations of why the ‘official’ Jewish count of the age of the world is off.

Perhaps the most common is that a Rabbi did a calculation once, made a possibly deliberate error in a book called the Seder Olam over 1800 years ago and everyone kept following it. Though many keep following it, many Jewish scholars realize that it contained errors.

The numbers in the Bible are much clearer and I do not believe that they would be off for over 200 years because of overlapping reigns, differences in birth dates, etc. Plus, the 6000 years should be up in the next decade or so.

There is also a 1997 book written by an attorney and Orthodox Jew titled Jewish History in Conflict: A Study of the Major Discrepancy between Rabbinic and Conventional Chronology with detailed explanations that tries to resolve much of this. Basically, according to a reviewer (http://www.lamblion.com/articles/articles_jewishlife3.php viewed 04/02/12), the book suggests that there was a misunderstanding about certain Persian kings and Daniel 9:24-27 and that this error was carried forward. The book’s author, Michael First, essentially shows that the current Jewish chronology is flawed and that something closer to the conventional chronology (like the article Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? uses) is the correct one.

Notice an admission reportedly from Jewish Rabbi Simon Schwab:

6. The gravity of this intellectual dilemma posed by such enormous discrepancies must not be underestimated. The unsuspecting students — including the pupils of our Yeshivoth and Beth Jacob High Schools — are faced with a puzzle that appears insoluble. How could it have been that our forebears had no knowledge of a period in history, otherwise widely known and amply documented, which lasted over a span of 165 years and which was less than 600 years removed in time from the days of the Sages who recorded our traditional chronology in Seder Olam? Is it really possible to assume that some form of historical amnesia had been allowed to take possession of the collective memory of an entire people? This should be quite like assuming that some group of recognized historians of today would publish a textbook on medieval history, ignoring all the records of, say, the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries of the Common Era. Would this not seem inconceivable even for those who, unfortunately, do not possess the necessary emunas chachomim to accept the world of our Sages?

7. This enormous discrepancy between sacred tradition and secular data would appear at first glance to frustrate any and all hope that it might be possible to compile a comparative chronology acceptable to Orthodox Jewry and secular historians alike. To faithful believers in the veracity of our most sacred literature, both Biblical and Rabbinic, there seems to be left only the following two alternatives between which to choose: One: Faithfully to put our trust in the superior wisdom of our inspired teachers of Torah who have arrived at the absolute Truth and, consequently, to reject categorically and absolutely the right of any secular scientist, even the most objective in his field to contradict our convictions. In this case, it would mean that we would have to declare that these 165 years which our Tradition has ignored are, in fact, non-existent, and have been conjectured by secular historians out of the clear blue sky. According to this method of reasoning, it would follow that all the historical developments reported in connection with the timetable of ancient history referring to that period are not history but fiction and based on misinterpretation and misleading evidence. Or Two: We might accept the unanimous opinion of secular historians as coming as close to the objective truth as that is possible, but make an ingenious attempt to interpret the Biblical data and to treat the traditional Rabbinic chronology as mere Aggadic homily which may lend itself to symbolic or allegorical evaluation. This dilemma is most unfortunate. For it would appear that the only course to take would be either to “correct” secular ancient history by 165 years which we would then have to call “fictitious” or else to declare that our traditional calendar is based not on historical calculations but on Aggadic pronouncements. Even centuries ago, in his “Me’or Eynayim” (35), Azariah de Rossi, a controversial figure in the annals of our people, criticized the puzzling texts of Seder Olam and of the Talmud, much to the righteous indication of contemporary and later Rabbinic scholars (cf. R. David Gans in Tzemach David (#3448) and R. Jacob Emden to Seder Olam 30). (BreuerM, Breuer J. Jubilee Volume Presented in Honor of the Eightieth Birthday of Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer. P. Feldheim, 1962, pp. 182-183)

Schwab reportedly also admitted:

4. The Torah-true historian is now confronted with a truly vexing problem. Ancient history of the Babylonian and Persian Empires presents us with completely different data. These figures can hardly be doubted for they appear to be the result of painstaking research by hundreds of scholars and are borne out by profound erudition and by ever increasing authoritative evidence. Sometimes small discrepancies of a year or tow at the most have yet to be accounted for, but complete agreement seems to be almost within reach at the present time…. Since according to Ezra (6:15) the Second Temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius I, the date following the secular chronology must have been 517 BCE; i.e., exactly 70 years after the date (again, established by secular historians) for the destruction of the First Temple (587 BCE). Consequently the first year of the era of the Second Temple was 517 BCE and not 351 BCE. As long as we cannot doubt the date given for the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE) we are compelled to admit that the Bayis Sheini must have existed for no less than 586 years instead of the 420 years given by tradition. This amounts to a discrepancy of over 165 years compared with our Jewish way of reckoning!

5. Furthermore there are at least nine Persian kings beginning with Cyrus (seven of these reigned subsequent to the consecration of the Temple) until the beginning of the Greek Era, during a period of well over 200 years. Compare with these figures the statements of Seder Olam and of Talmudic-Rabbinic literature (Seder Olam 30, Rosh Hashanah 3b) which know of only four Median-Persians kings ruling over a period of not more than 52 years, of which only 34 years belong to the period subsequent to the building of the Second Temple. …

B. 1. There seems to be left, as yet unexplored, only one avenue of approach to the vexing problem confronting us. It should have been possible that our Sages — for some unknown reason — had “covered up” a certain historic period and purposely eliminated and suppressed all records and other material pertaining thereto. If so what might have been their compelling reason for so unusual a procedure? Nothing short of a Divine command could have prompted our Chazal, those saintly “men of truth” to leave out completely from our annals a period of 165 years and to correct all data and historic tables in such a fashion that the subsequent chronological gap could escape being noticed by countless generations, known to a few initiates only who were duty-bound to keep the secret themselves. 2. In the course of our inquiry, we do indeed find a Divine command conveyed by an angel to Daniel to “seal the words and close the book” at the end of a long prophesy which begins in Chapter 11:1 and ends at Chapter 12:4 in the Book of Daniel…. (Excerpts from Comparative Jewish Chronology (pp177-197) in Jubilee Volume for Rav Yosef Breuer by Rabbi Simon Schwab as cited in Avodah Mailing List Volume 11 : Number 018 Tuesday, May 27 2003. http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol11/v11n018.shtml accessed 06/05/16)

Perhaps it should be noted that allegedly a formal retraction of his “coverup theory” appeared in Schwab’s volumes of “Selected Writings” – but he insisted that even though the explanation was not tenable the problem remained.

Here is more about this:

Furthermore, the shortening as perpetuated in the Sedar Olam was deliberate!

While not openly admitting this, present day Jewish scholars acknowledge that there is something enigmatic about the Sedar Olam’s dating. For example, after stating that the commonly received dates from the Ptolemaic chronology “can hardly be doubted,” Rabbi Simon Schwab, nevertheless goes on to uphold his own tradition:

“It should have been possible that our Sages — for some unknown reason — had “covered up” a certain historic period and purposely eliminated and suppressed all records and other material pertaining thereto. If so what might have been their compelling reason for so unusual a procedure? Nothing short of a Divine command could have prompted our Chazal, those saintly “men of truth” to leave out completely from our annals a period of 165 years and to correct all data and historic tables in such a fashion that the subsequent chronological gap could escape being noticed by countless generations, known to a few initiates only who were duty-bound to keep the secret themselves.” (Emphasis Schwab’s)

This is an astonishing proposal. Schwab, along with other Jewish commentators, further suggests that the reason why God directed the sages of the 2nd century AD to become involved in falsifying the data was to confuse anyone who might try to use the prophecies of Daniel to predict the time of the Messiah’s coming.

This was supposedly done to honour Da 12:4: “shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.” He adds that the reason the sages had adopted the non-Jewish Seleucid Era calendar was part of a scheme to do just that–to close up the words and seal the book of Daniel. Schwab also states that if the 165 years were included it would reveal “we are much closer to the the end of the 6th Millennium than we had surmised.” (Schwab mentions this date as the time when many rabbis expect Messiah to come.).

But can any sincere reader accept such a flimsy reason as justification for distorting history? It actually accuses God himself of perpetrating a dishonest deception.

Indeed, it is manifestly apparent that the real reasons for the deliberate altering of their own national chronology in the Seder Olam were: (1) to conceal the fact that the Da 9:25 prophecy clearly pointed to Jesus of Nazareth as its fulfillment and therefore the long awaited Messiah, and (2) to make that seventy week of years prophecy point instead to Simon Bar Kokhba! Rabbis in the century immediately following Christ Jesus had a tremendous problem with so direct a prophecy as Da 9:24-27. This chapter speaks of Messiah’s appearing 69 “weeks” (i.e., 69 sevens) or 483 years after the going forth of a commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem. This 538 BC prophecy {Da 9:1} unmistakably points to the start of the ministry of Jesus Christ in 29 AD. Such must either be acknowledged and his person accepted or completely erased from Jewish consciousness. The latter could be accomplished if the 69 (or 70) weeks of years could some

how be made to apply to the century after the life of Christ. Then it would be possible for the rabbis to point to another messiah who, as circumstances would have it, was cut off in death some 100 years after the crucifixion of our Lord.

The 10th day of the month Ab (c. mid-August) is a great day of sorrow to Israel. On this day in 588 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s Temple. Further, the second temple was laid waste by the Romans under Titus on the same day in 70 AD. And on this very day in 135 AD, at the conclusion of a 3 1/2-year revolt, the Romans crushed the army of the “messianic” Simon Bar Kokhba (also spelled “Cocheba”).

Bar Kokhba had been declared the long-awaited Messiah by the foremost Jewish scholar of that day, the highly venerated Rabbi Akiva (Akiba) ben Joseph. In 130 AD. Emperor Haddrian of Rome declared his intention to raise a shrine to Jupiter on the site of the temple, and in 131 he issued a decree forbidding circumcision as well as public instruction in the Jewish law. Having preached peace all his life, the 90-year-old Akiva gave his blessing to the revolution by proclaiming that Bar Kokhba was the “star out of Jacob” and the “sceptre out of Israel.” {Nu 24:17}

In his 98th year, Akiva was eventually imprisoned and condemned to death by the Romans. Among the many accolades heaped upon Akiva, that which elevated him as a pre-eminent authority, was the acknowledging of him as “the father of the Mishnah.” Such prominence gave great weight to the messianic expectancy Akiva placed upon Bar Kokhba.

Akiva’s students became some of the most prominent sages of the following generation. Among these was Yose (Josi) ben Halafta. Akiva’s influence on Halafta is apparent from a statement made concerning his education; it was merely said that Rabbi Akiva had been his teacher. As his mentor Akiva’s regard for Bar Kokhba would have been thoroughly imbedded in Yose.

The preceding overview explains why the Seder Olam is held in such veneration and why the Jews still use it for their national dating. Yet the fact remains that it is a dishonest attempt to conceal the truth with regard to the Da 9:24-27 prophecy.

By removing the 164 (or 165) years from the duration of the Persian Empire, Rabbi Halafta was able to make the 483 year Da 9:24-27 prophecy fall reasonably close to the years prior to the 132 AD revolt during thich Bar Kokhba rose to prominence as Israel’s military and economic leader. Then with Akiva proclaiming, “This is the King Messiah” followed by “all the contemporary sages regarding him as the King Messiah,” the Jewish populace united around this false hope. (Jones F. Appendix G: The Seder Olam Rabbah — Why Jewish Dating is Different. In: Pierce L, Pierce M, editors. The Annals of the World. Master Books. Copyright 2003. ISBN: 089051-360-0, pp. 932-933)

While I do not agree with all that is asserted in the above, the author is correct that the dating issue with the Jews seemed to be deliberate. Consider also the following prophecy:

4 … Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed. (Amos 2:4)

Many peoples have chosen to rely on lies, sometimes called tradition (though not all traditions are based on lies), instead of acting on the truth.

Many Jewish scholars realize the errors in the Seder Olam (First M. Jewish History in Conflict. Jason Aronson, Inc. Jerusalem, 1997, pp. 44-80), and several admit that the errors seemed to be to affect the interpretation of Daniel 9:24-26 (ibid). According to Michael First, some of the modern Jewish scholars in the latter category appear to include Hayyim Shvilly (ibid, p. 70), Benny Isaacson (p. 71), Ben Zion Wacholder (pp. 73-74), Jay Braverman (p. 74), Joseph Tabori (pp. 76-77), and Henry Guggenheimer (p. 78). Berel Wein is said to have admitted that “the Jewish way of counting is off 166 years” (p. 78), whereas Samuel Hakohen admitted that Jewish sages provided an incorrect chronology “to accurately predict the time of the coming of the Messiah” (pp. 78-79). Michael First also lists Jewish scholars in the 8th through 15th centuries (such as Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer, Josippon, Moses ben Samuel ka-Kohen Gikatilla, Rashi, Zerahiah ben Isaac ha-Levi Gerondi, Abraham ben David ha-Levi Ibn David, David Kimhi, Samuel ben Nissim Masnut, Isaac ben Joseph Israeli, Isaac Abravanel) who had problems and/or wrote in contradictions related to one or more parts of the Jewish chronology of the Seder Olam (pp. 183-198).

Michael First reported that Jewish Rabbi Simon Schwab said that the 165 years could be related to ‘Daniel’s secret’ (cf. Daniel 12:9) as the gematria (Gematria /ɡəˈmeɪ.tri.ə/ originated as an Assyro-Babylonian-Greek system of alphanumeric code/cipher later adopted into Jewish culture that assigns numerical value to a word/name/phrase in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to Nature, a person’s age, the calendar year, or the like. Source: Wikipedia 09/24/17) is 165, even though it is more like 168 or 169 years that was changed (First M. Jewish History in Conflict: A Study of the Major Discrepancy between Rabbinic and Conventional Chronology. Jason Aronson, Inc., 1997, p. 75).

Notice also related to another Jewish leader:

Samuel Kedar (1984)

Samuel Kedar makes the same suggestion as Schwab. He writes that the Sages purposely stated an incorrect chronology in order to prevent people from using their chronology to accurately predict the timing of the coming of the Messiah. In certain instructions given to Daniel, the Sages saw a divine command to obscure a part of the Persian period. … Kedar even includes the same gematria as Schwab … equals 165 (First M. Jewish History in Conflict: A Study of the Major Discrepancy between Rabbinic and Conventional Chronology. Jason Aronson, Inc., 1997, p. 67).

I looked for more sources by Jewish writers, not those that claim to accept Jesus, to verify more parts of the above. So here is something from Josephus:

6. When therefore the generals of Antiochus’s armies had been beaten so often, Judas assembled the people together, and told them, that after these many victories which God had given them, they ought to go up to Jerusalem, and purify the temple, and offer the appointed sacrifices. But as soon as he, with the whole multitude, was come to Jerusalem, and found the temple deserted, and its gates burnt down, and plants growing in the temple of their own accord, on account of its desertion, he and those that were with him began to lament, and were quite confounded at the sight of the temple; so he chose out some of his soldiers, and gave them order to fight against those guards that were in the citadel, until he should have purified the temple. When therefore he had carefully purged it, and had brought in new vessels, the candlestick, the table [of shew-bread], and the altar [of incense], which were made of gold, he hung up the veils at the gates, and added doors to them. He also took down the altar [of burnt-offering], and built a new one of stones that he gathered together, and not of such as were hewn with iron tools. So on the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, which the Macedonians call Apeliens, they lighted the lamps that were on the candlestick, and offered incense upon the altar [of incense], and laid the loaves upon the table [of shew-bread], and offered burnt-offerings upon the new altar [of burnt-offering]. Now it so fell out, that these things were done on the very same day on which their Divine worship had fallen off, and was reduced to a profane and common use, after three years’ time; for so it was, that the temple was made desolate by Antiochus, and so continued for three years. This desolation happened to the temple in the hundred forty and fifth year, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Apeliens, and on the hundred fifty and third olympiad: but it was dedicated anew, on the same day, the twenty-fifth of the month Apeliens, on the hundred and forty-eighth year, and on the hundred and fifty-fourth olympiad. And this desolation came to pass according to the prophecy of Daniel, which was given four hundred and eight years before; for he declared that the Macedonians would dissolve that worship [for some time]. (Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews. Book XII, Chapter 7, Verse 6).

The reason this is relevant is it shows that in the first century, at least one Jewish scholar said a period of time of 408 years elapsed from a prophecy of Daniel (probably Daniel 9:1-2) and the time that Antiochus descrated the Temple, whereas the Seder Olam uses a shorter amount of years for this span. Even Jewish scholars recognize this. Notice one:

According to the date assigned to the reign of Darius the Mede as beginning 374 B.C. (per the interpretation of Pierce L, Pierce M, editors. The Annals of the World. Master Books. Copyright 2003, p. 932), and since Antiochus is well known to have made that destruction in 167 B.C., there is over a 200 year difference here. And although Josephus may himself have too much time (that is hard to determine as the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede is debated, though more often presumed to be in the 6th century B.C. instead of the 4th century B.C. as the Seder Olam seems to point to). Thus, this reduction of time seems intentional in the Seder Olam, and likely is related to the rise of Christianity as the Seder Olam, did not come out until a generation after Josephus.

Speaking of Josephus, it has been speculated that one of his writings (Contra Apion, I, 8) support the view that the Jews tried to minimize the importance of the Book of Daniel (Derstine T. Anti-Messianic Basis of Jewish Chronology. Are We Living in the Year 5770? Persian Chronology in the Seder Olam. 2009; see also The Original Order of the Books of the Bible).

In the case of Akiva, he apparently believed so much in Bar Kochba that he felt he had to make a change in chronology that many Jews now follow. Notice something else related to him from the Jewish Talmud where he tried to tie Bar Kochba to a passage in Numbers 24:17:

Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai taught: Rabbi Akiva would expound, A star has risen from Jacob – “Kozba [Bar Kokhba] has risen from Jacob.” When Rabbi Akiva would see bar Kozba, he would say: “This is the anointed King – the Messiah.” Rabbi Yohanan ben Tortah said to him: “Akiva, grass will sprout from your cheeks and still the Messiah will not arrive.” (Yerushalmi, Taanit 4:5)

Yes, Bar Kochba was not the Messiah, but believing that he was (and that Jesus was not) seems to have influenced the ‘dating of the world.’ Akiva actually changed Bar Kosiba’s name (suggesting he was a disreputable son) to Bar Kochba, which for a time, seemed to prolong the myth he was Messianic.

Notice another Jewish observation about Bar Kochba:

The Sages called him not Bar Kochba (the son of a star) but Bar Koziba (the son of a lie). His real name was neither; it was Bar Kosiba. (Hammer H. One triumph and two tragedies. The Jerusalem Post, November 29, 2012 http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Judaism/One-triumph-and-two-tragedies accessed 08/01/16)

Yet because of their ‘greatest sages,’ Akiva tried to make others believe Bar Koziba was really the Messiah, many Jews seemed to accept/make calculation changes.

Yet, irrespective of why any of this may have happened, the fact is that the Jewish year is off by around 200 years compared to historical records and the biblical account.

Now let’s look at an excuse the Jews have for one of the comments in the Talmud (that is also quoted at the beginning of this article) from 2012:

Well, let me tell you what the traditional sources say about that. There is a time frame in which the Messiah has to come. The Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin 97a says the following:

“The academy of Eliyahu taught the following Baraisa: The world is destined to exist for six thousand years: The first two thousand years were of nothingness; the second two thousand years were of Torah; the third two thousand years should have been the days of the Messiah, but because of our sins, which are numerous, the years that have gone from [the Messianic Era] have gone.”

From this passage in the Talmud we learn three things. First of all, we learn that the world as we know it will only last for 6000 years. I guess you can call it: Y6K – The Jewish Doomsday. [There are various traditions as to what is going to happen after the year 6000 – see the Talmud in Sanhedrin 97a. All agree, however, that Olam HaZeh, the physical world as we know it, will not last forever. Rather, those who merit it will morph into a new spiritual reality known as Olam HaBa, the “World to Come”, where they will bask in the splendor of G-d’s Divine Presence for all eternity.]

Secondly, we learn that the Messiah could have arrived to redeem us and bring us all to Israel as early as the year 4000 in the Hebrew calendar (which corresponds to the year 240 CE in the Julian calendar). Unfortunately, since we haven’t been good boys and girls, it is already the year 5773 and the Messiah still hasn’t shown up!

Most importantly, we learn that the Messiah has to come before the year 6000 – which means that he will definitely arrive within the next 227 years! Who knows, if we don’t get to see the Messianic Era, maybe our children or grandchildren or great-grandchildren will!

The truth is that we might be closer to witnessing the Messianic Age than we think. You see, there is a major chronological discrepancy between rabbinic chronologists for the destruction of the First Temple in 423 BCE and the modern secular dating for it in 586 BCE – a difference of 163 years!

[Click on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_years_%28Jewish_calendar%29 to learn more about this discrepancy between the Jewish and conventional chronologies as well as the various attempts from Rabbis and historians over the years to reconcile them.]

Well, that is closer to the right amount (as well as closer to that done by Saul Kullook), but that is still off. The explanation for why the claim that Messiah did not come 1900 years ago, of course, is wrong. Jesus did come, but He was rejected (cf. 1 Peter 2:4).

Notice something else from the Talmud:

It has been taught; R. Nathan said: This verse pierces and descends to the very abyss: For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though he tarry, wait for him; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Not as our Masters, who interpreted the verse, until a time and times and the dividing of time; nor as R. Simlai who expounded, Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink a third time; nor as R. Akiba who expounded, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth: but the first dynasty shall last seventy years, the second, fifty two, and the reign of Bar Koziba two and a half years.

R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan: Blasted be the bones of those who calculate the end. For they would say, since the predetermined time has arrived, and yet he has not come, he will never come. But, wait for him, as it is written, Though he tarry, wait for him. (Sanhedrin 97b. Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin)

Consider that the Babylonian Talmud dates from the 3rd to 5th centuries. By that time, some in Judaism realized, apparently based upon their improper understanding of Habakkuk 2, Daniel 9, and other materials, that the Messiah should have already came. Of course, Jesus did come (see The KEY To The Crucifixion Date which goes into more depth about Daniel 9), but they would not accept Him.

It should be noted that Jewish rabbis have generally decided to teach that the Messiah would come at/by the end of 6,000 years (as opposed to their earlier view of 4,000 years). Unless more Jews change their view of the chronology, many will believe that when Jesus returns, it will be too early, and thus once again deny Christ.

EU Council President Donald Tusk says the EU must prepare for the worst when it comes to dealing with the USA:

Donald Tusk warns EU leaders to ‘prepare for the worst’ in EU-US relations

European Council President Donald Tusk has warned European Union leaders that they should “prepare for the worst” in EU-US relations. In a letter to EU leaders, who will be gathering in Brussels for a summit on Thursday and Friday, he also laid out the agenda for discussions at the important meeting, with migration topping the list.

Trans-Atlantic relations

Writing on the issue of trans-Atlantic relations, Tusk said US President Donald Trump’s policies have been increasingly at loggerheads with the bloc’s values.

“It is my belief that, while hoping for the best, we must be ready to prepare our union for worst-case scenarios,” Tusk wrote. “Despite our tireless efforts to keep the unity of the West, trans-Atlantic relations are under immense pressure due to the policies of President Trump.”

Trump has withdrawn the US from the Paris climate agreement and Iran nuclear deal, despite repeated pleas by the EU to stick with them. Then in June, citing “national security” the Trump administration set off fears of a trade war by imposing tariffs on EU steel and aluminum. The EU responded with a set of retaliatory tariffs.

Europe is upset with Donald Trump, as well as the fact that he has increased in popularity among Americans–so Europe says it needs to prepare for the worst. Biblically, it is the USA that should prepare for the worst (Jeremiah 30:7). As Europe makes preparations to distance itself from the USA, this will not turn out well for the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39).

A new world order is being put together.

Last year, I posted the following from Bloomberg:

The New World Order Is Leaving the U.S. Behind

American allies have decided Trump is simply not someone they can do business with.

He downgraded the security guarantees of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to a definite maybe — and only if its members ponied up more defense dollars. The Iran nuclear pact was “the worst deal ever,” and the Paris accord on climate change wasn’t much better. The Trans-Pacific Partnership was dead on arrival. Japan and South Korea’s free-riding days were over. The North American Free Trade Agreement was toast. The U.S. would ignore the rules of the World Trade Organization. And from its proposed cuts in foreign aid and United Nations peacekeeping to the empty offices and embassies of the State Department, the Trump administration has made clear how little it thinks of soft power and diplomacy.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the disintegration of the international liberal order. It’s started to reconstitute itself — only not with the U.S. at its center. …

That sentiment found its most trenchant expression in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s declaration, following Trump’s May trip to Europe, that the continent “must really take our fate into our own hands.” The net result of the Trump administration’s antipathy to free trade and cooperation on climate change and refugee resettlement was a united front against the U.S. at both the Group of Seven and Group of 20 meetings.

Jilted by the U.S., the other 11 members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership are moving ahead on their own. … Asian nations are hedging their bets between the U.S. and China. Trump’s tough talk on Mexico has prompted it to reach out to its hemispheric rival Brazil on defense cooperation.

In Latin America, his brash bullying plays to the worst caricature of Yanqui behavior. No wonder the foreign ministers of 12 nations in the Americas who pledged this week in Peru not to recognize Venezuela’s new constituent assembly — a remarkable regional diplomatic achievement — chose to keep the U.S. mostly out of it. …

EU Globalists and Chinese Communists Team Up To Protect NWO

On Monday, European Union leaders announced that officials from the EU and China were coming together to strengthen and protect their international trade relations from Trump’s “America First” agenda.

Jyrki Katainen (shown, left), the vice-president of the EU’s ruling and unelected European Commission, said during an interview aired on CNBC Monday morning, “I feel really we are making progress…. Both China and the EU believes in multilateralism and a rules-based world order.”

Katainen’s “rules-based world order” is a soft-sounding label given by globalists to the new world order. …

Like the Chinese Communists, Katainen advocates for a multilateral world order in which both the EU and Communist China are leaders, making the rules and overseeing their world order. …

Since around 1800, the world order has been dominated by the British and the Americans. In the 21st century, part of the objective of the European Union, BRICS, EAEU, SCO, and China’s Silk Road arrangements is to establish a new world order (SCO, EAEU, and BRICS defining a ‘new world order’?)–an order no longer dominated by the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies, like the UK.

Despite what some think, the Great Tribulation will initially mainly be directed to those who are descended from Jacob/Israel:

6 Ask now, and see,
Whether a man is ever in labor with child?
So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins
Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:6-7)

25… Gentiles, who do not know You…they have eaten up Jacob, Devoured him and consumed him, And made his dwelling place desolate. (Jeremiah 10:25)

23 ‘Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be defiled.
25 Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none. (Ezekiel 7:23-25)

23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:23-24)

2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. (Revelation 11:2)

Notice that Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jesus (whose words are recorded in Luke), and John (who penned Revelation) were talking about the same time. Also notice that “it is the time of Jacob’s trouble” and that the “Gentiles” are dominating. This means those that are descended from Israel or have the name of Jacob (cf. Genesis 48:14-16) will be mainly the ones who are trampled on. One of the peoples that God says He will use to punish the descendants of Israel, Assyria (Isaiah 10:5-11), are a Gentile people–they will normally lead during the time of the Gentiles. This will be a terrible time.

The Bible shows that it will be dominated at first by a Babylonian power from Europe:

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:1-18)

The seven-hill city, according to even Roman Catholic sources, is Rome. Many European symbols clearly tie it in with Babylon–including its statues of the woman Europa riding a Beast and the unfinished European Parliament building in Stasbourg, France reminiscent of the Tower of Babel (to see those and other EU Babylonian symbols, check out the post: EU symbols and the ‘daughter of Babylon’).

Notice further that there is a Catholic prophecy that shows the taking over of North America:

Zachary the Armenian (published 1854 and summarized in 2010): And then there would be the war that the prophecy refers to as “the struggle of the strong, against the strong”. This empire of the north…will go to war against North America and North America will be fall and be conquered and brought into bondage. The next phase is the most frightful thing of all. It is then that Zachary says this text published in 1854, “and then the whole world fell under the dominion of the first born of hell.” (Originally by Priest Fattecelli, Day of Anger: The Hand of God Upon an Empire, 1854, as paraphrased by Priest P. Kramer, What are the missing contents of the third secret? Fatima Crusader, 95, Summer 2010, pp. 45-46)

North America would clearly include the USA and Canada. Since Zachary is discussing the dominion of the first born son of perdition (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12), the above is clearly teaching that this would happen at the start of the Great Tribulation. This is consistent with the understanding of the Philadelphian remnant of the Church of God on these matters (though we do not believe that God inspired this Zachary).

So why quote Zachary? Well, his writing is consistent with the following ones in the Bible:

19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be…23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. 24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. 25 “Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means. 26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future.” (Daniel 8:19,23-26)

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain (Daniel 11:39).

The “he” in Daniel 11:39 is identified as the King of the North in the next verse of that chapter. He will rule a European empire. That sounds like the “empire of the north” that Zachary wrote about.

The strongest fortresses in the world belong to the USA and to a much lessor extent, its English-speaking allies (for a more detailed explanation of why the USA and its Anglo-allies are involved, as well as the dividing of their lands, please see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel). Some would call the attack by this northern empire World War III (WWIII).

Lest any think that this will only affect the USA, notice that biblical Ephraim, which is the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will not fare well in this ‘new world order’:

3 The fortress also will cease from Ephraim. (Isaiah 17:3)

And as far as Australia and New Zealand themselves go, they will be ‘swallowed up’ in a sense by one or more Gentile powers that will be in some type of an agreement with the European power. It is likely that this will involve one or more Asiatic nations.

Notice something from the old Radio Church of God:

Times of Israel’s Punishment a Key to Understanding

Israel was promised great national blessings, including national greatness if they would obey God. But God also promised that if they obstinately refused to obey Him, if they refused to follow His laws and let Him rule their lives, then He would punish them for a period called seven times (Lev. 26).

The Bible itself defines this period of seven times for us. If you turn to Revelation the twelfth chapter, and compare verses 6 and 14 you will see that the word time in prophecy simply means a year, hence seven times would be seven years or 2520 days.

Now let’s notice another key. In Numbers 14:34, God said Israel would bear their iniquities in the wilderness after the number of days they searched the land of Canaan, forty days, each day for a year.

Then seven times or 2520 prophetic days would equal 2520 literal years! This period of seven times or 2520 years punishment did come upon Israel because they went their own ways and would no: submit to the rule of God. Israel went into captivity about 721 B.C. and did not become a great people again until their times of punishment ceased about 1800 A.D. At that time the descendants of the ancient House of Israel -America and Britain and the democratic peoples of the world–began to rise to such wealth and power as the world has never enjoyed before all because of the promises made to Abraham. (Hoeh H. What are the Times of the Gentiles? Plain Truth, September 1955)

It was essentially after 2520 years that the Anglo-American powers rose up. That 2520 year time of the Gentiles is over. In 1970, the late evangelist Herman Hoeh wrote a similar article and added to it:

The Bible itself defines this period of seven times for us. If you turn to Revelation the twelfth chapter, and compare verses 6 and 14, you will see that the word “time” in prophecy simply means a year. Hence seven “times” would be “seven years,” each containing twelve 30-day months — or a total of 2520 days (7x12x30). …

God was dealing with the Gentiles in Daniel’s day. The Gentile king Nebuchadnezzar had been sinning — living contrary to God’s law. He had been taking his people on the road to world conquest and the enslavement of other nations and peoples. He had been traveling the way of war, not of peace.

God had sent His warning. The king did not heed. So God punished the nation seven years (569 to 562 D.C.) by cursing King Nebuchadnezzar with madness — till he acted and thought like a beast of the forest!

No punishment like that had ever come on any king before! No nation had ever been so cursed!

After these seven years Nebuchadnezzar’s mind returned to sanity. He now repented, admitted that his ways were wrong, and actually wrote a great public document admitting before all nations what had happened to him and to his people!

After those seven years of punishment, the kingdom of Babylon was given the heart of a man. The leaders began to think in ways of peace instead of war. Notice Daniel 7:4. The kingdom of Chaldea (or Babylon) — here symbolized by a ferocious lion — stood “upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given it.”

Notice the parallel. King Nebuchadnezzar, because of his sins, was punished seven literal years. At the end of that time he regained his sanity and began for the first time in his life to repent and to give up the ways of war for the way of peace. … As He punished Israel and Judah for seven prophetic “times” — 2520 years — so would be the punishment of the Gentiles! God began to punish the nation by cursing their king for seven literal years. (Hoeh H. There is a Way of Escape. Plain Truth, 1970)

Interestingly, there are 2520 days in 7 years of 360 days. Hence, that also seems to point to the length of time the seven-year ‘peace deal’ of Daniel 9:27 will be confirmed for. But it is only for 1/2 that time (42 months) that the Gentiles “will tread the holy city” of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:2). Then Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), will return and destroy the predominantly Gentile powers that will be united to fight against Him (Revelation 19:19-21).

Notice also the following, which shows that the remnant of Israel will be shamed, for a time, by Gentiles but then the Lord will come:

25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. 27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God.'” (Ezekiel 34:25-30)

7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jeremiah 23:7-8)

Today is considered to be the feast/saint’s day for Irenaeus of Lyon. His writings are some of the earliest available on certain heresies and he claimed to have met the faithful Polycarp of Smyrna.

A reader sent me the following:

Celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on June 28, and by Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine tradition on August 23, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons was a second-century bishop and writer in present-day France.

He is best known for defending Christian orthodoxy, especially the reality of Christ’s human incarnation, against the set of heresies known as Gnosticism.

Justin Martyr (ca. 95–167AD) and Irenaeus (ca. 130–202AD), while maintaining some truths they had learned under Polycarp, also sought to accommodate themselves to the new direction of Roman theology in the name of “church unity”…Justin also molded the thinking of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons…He believed that the God of Plato was also the God of the Bible (Ogwyn J. God’s Church Through the Ages. 2003).

While I have not seen any major other treatise explaining why Irenaeus was a major heretic (actually, outside of Church of God circles, I have seen little that specifically considers him to have been a heretic, though groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses probably do), it appears to me that he may have been the most dangerous heretic.

Why?

Because, Irenaeus’ heresies were not obvious to those outside the true Church of God. His heresies and false statements were less numerous and less obvious than Justin’s, thus have been missed by nearly all scholars (though some have noticed one or two errors he made).

What were His Most Important Heresies?

Irenaeus heard Polycarp, yet made deals with Rome that disagreed with Polycarp’s teachings. Irenaeus knew that Justin did not agree with Polycarp, yet he approved of Justin–and sadly seemed to prefer to be influenced more by him that by Polycarp.

Irenaeus knew that Polycarp condemned heretics such as Marcion and Valentinus, but Irenaeus failed to mention that they were still allowed to be part of the Roman Catholic Church until at least two decades later. Irenaeus supported the Roman Church even though Irenaeus knew they tolerated heretics that had earlier been condemned by Polycarp (and eventually by Irenaeus himself).

Even though Marcion and Valentinus were condemned by Polycarp as heretics about two decades before Eleutherius became bishop, apparently they were not put out of the Roman Catholic Church then. (Marcion gave a large financial contribution that kept him in good graces for a while–though the Roman Church allegedly returned that contribution after some time.)

And why is all of this about Polycarp and Irenaeus so important?

Because Irenaeus knew that Polycarp had the original faith that the apostles had, but did not stand up for it. Apparently, he did not consider that faith to be important enough to fully follow it personally–he compromised.

Notice what Irenaeus records about Polycarp:

But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna…always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true. To these things all the Asiatic Churches testify, as do also those men who have succeeded Polycarp down to the present time (Irenaeus. Adversus Haeres. Book III, Chapter 4, Verse 3 and Chapter 3, Verse 4).

So we have from this early Roman Catholic source that Polycarp and his successors in Asia Minor (at least until the time that Irenaeus wrote this, around 180 A.D.) practiced the true teachings that they learned from the apostles.

What Irenaeus failed to mention is that Marcion was possibly the first heretic to do away with the seventh-day Sabbath. And while Justin did not believe in keeping the Sabbath either, Justin did attend church services on Sunday. Irenaeus apparently felt that neither Saturday nor Sunday was of particular importance, as long as one worshipped God regularly–and this is a heresy that many still hold to today (including even the Jehovah’s witnesses).

Irenaeus also had some teachings that Polycarp held. For example, like Polycarp, Irenaeus clearly did not teach the trinity–he held a binitarian view, hence he did not follow that error of Montanus or Valentinus:

Eusebius records that Polycrates explained how the Apostles Philip and John, as well as faithful church leaders and martyrs such as Polycarp and Melito, kept the Passover on the 14th of Nisan in accordance with the gospel and would not deviate from it.

But the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates, decided to hold to the old custom handed down to them. He himself, in a letter which he addressed to Victor and the church of Rome, set forth in the following words the tradition which had come down to him: “We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away…”

He then writes of all the bishops who were present with him and thought as he did. His words are as follows: “I could mention the bishops who were present, whom I summoned at your desire; whose names, should I write them, would constitute a great multitude. And they, beholding my littleness, gave their consent to the letter, knowing that I did not bear my gray hairs in vain, but had always governed my life by the Lord Jesus.” Thereupon Victor, who presided over the church at Rome, immediately attempted to cut off from the common unity the parishes of all Asia, with the churches that agreed with them, as heterodox; and he wrote letters and declared all the brethren there wholly excommunicate. But this did not please all the bishops. And they besought him to consider the things of peace, and of neighborly unity and love. Words of theirs are extant, sharply rebuking Victor. Among them was Irenaeus, who, sending letters in the name of the brethren in Gaul over whom he presided, maintained that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be observed only on the Lord’s day. He fittingly admonishes Victor that he should not cut off whole churches of God which observed the tradition of an ancient custom and after many other words he proceeds as follows:

“For the controversy is not only concerning the day, but also concerning the very manner of the fast. For some think that they should fast one day, others two, yet others more; some, moreover, count their day as consisting of forty hours day and night. And this variety in its observance has not originated in our time; but long before in that of our ancestors. It is likely that they did not hold to strict accuracy, and thus formed a custom for their posterity according to their own simplicity and peculiar mode. Yet all of these lived none the less in peace, and we also live in peace with one another; and the disagreement in regard to the fast confirms the agreement in the faith.”

He adds to this the following account, which I may properly insert:

“Among these were the presbyters before Soter, who presided over the church which thou now rulest. We mean Anicetus, and Pius, and Hyginus, and Telesphorus, and Xystus. They neither observed it themselves, nor did they permit those after them to do so. And yet though not observing it, they were none the less at peace with those who came to them from the parishes in which it was observed; although this observance was more opposed to those who did not observe it. But none were ever cast out on account of this form; but the presbyters before thee who did not observe it, sent the eucharist to those of other parishes who observed it. And when the blessed Polycarp was at Rome in the time of Anicetus, and they disagreed a little about certain other things…For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not to observe what he had always observed with John the disciple of our Lord…” (Eusebius. Church History. Book V, Chapter 24).

Notice that what Irenaeus did was to persuade the Roman Bishop Victor to not be as angry against those who in Asia Minor did what the Bible and the Apostles Philip and John stated. And also notice that Irenaeus himself did not stand up for the biblical Passover even though he knew that Polycarp observed it.

So why was that so heretical?

First of all, because Irenaeus’ own practices were complicit with Rome’s–Irenaeus should have condemned Rome’s practices. And secondly, because Irenaeus knew that Sunday was not observed by Polycarp as Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John–hence should not have advocated it. Thirdly, Irenaeus also had to have known that Victor was not binitarian (he was Sabellian). And fourthly because he, unbiblically, is referring to Sunday as the Lord’s Day (an article of related interest may be Is Revelation 1:10 talking about Sunday or the Day of the Lord?). Because of Irenaeus most who profess Christ now accept Easter.

And why was that so dangerous? Besides the pagan connections, notice what Eusebius recorded:

Irenæus, who, sending letters in the name of the brethren in Gaul over whom he presided, maintained that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be observed only on the Lord’s day…Thus Irenaeus, who truly was well named, became a peacemaker in this matter (Eusebius. Church History. Book V, Chapter 24).

Instead of condemning Irenaeus for not standing up for the biblical Passover, he is praised by Roman supporters for persuading those in the second century to not be too harsh on those that kept the proper biblical teaching of the date of the Passover.

Notice that the Apostle John taught that those who seemed like Christians, but did not do what John did were following leaders John describes as antichrists,

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us (1 John 2:18-19).

The change of Passover may have been the first specific departure from the practices of John that we have a historical record of (involving John’s name) (see also Some Doctrines of Antichrist).

Roman supporters ultimately did eliminate the observance of the Passover on the 14th among those they had cordial contact with by the decree of the pagan Emperor Constantine in 325 A.D. And later did try to kill those who refused to accept that decree (please see the article Europa, the Beast, and Revelation).

Apparently Irenaeus valued doctrinal compromise above biblical truth. Irenaeus, while knowing that Polycarp was faithful, only followed some of his faithful teachings (this reminds me of what Daniel told Belshazzar–Belshazzar knew what happened earlier, yet chose to ignore much of it and live the opposite–see Daniel 5:22-23).

These are reasons that most Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant scholars seem to have overlooked. Instead, they all tend to consider that Irenaeus was a great early apologist and/or saint.

Furthermore, notice that Pope Benedict XVI called him:

The true founder of Catholic theology, St. Irenaeus of Lyon (Pope Benedict XVI. Homily for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. June 29, 2005, http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/647/Homily_on_Saints_Peter_and_Paul_Pope_Benedict_XVI.html 6/19/07).

Those in the Church of God do not consider that Irenaeus was the founder of true theology.

Irenaeus Quoted “The Shepherd of Hermas” the Same as He Did Scripture

In a writing called The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, Irenaeus wrote:

For it is necessary that, things that are made should have the beginning of their making from some great cause; and the beginning of all things is God. For He Himself was not made by any, and by Him all things were made. And therefore it is right first of all to believe that there is One God, the Father, who made and fashioned all things, and made what was not that it should be, and who, containing all things, alone is uncontained (Irenaeus, St., Bishop of Lyon. Translated from the Armenian by Armitage Robinson. The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching. Wells, Somerset, Oct. 1879. As published in SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO, 1920).

The 69th footnote at that writing, which includes the original Greek states:

…”The Shepherd” (Poimen, Pastor), a work which had great authority in ancient times and was ranked with Holy Scripture. Eusebius tells us that it was publicly read in the churches, and that while some denied it to be canonical, others “considered it most necessary”. St. Athanasius speaks of it…St. Irenæus and Tertullian (in his Catholic days) cite the “Shepherd” as Scripture. Clement of Alexandria constantly quotes it with reverence, and so does Origen (Chapman. J. Transcribed by Don Ross. Hermas. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VII. Published 1910. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

No one can read The Shepherd of Hermas and think that it is on par with scripture–it is simply too bizarre. Irenaeus, however, was apparently the first known leader to do so. Irenaeus may have deferred to it as many believe that it was written by the brother of the Roman “bishop” Pius. This was a dangerous compromise. And one of the most dangerous.

What Motivated Irenaeus?

While it is impossible to know for certain what Irenaeus thought, there are some clues in his writings.

Irenaeus’ writings against heretics shows that there were many heretics who held views of God that they could not have possibly gotten from the Bible–essentially the views of the followers or Simon Magus and others like Valentinus that were later termed “gnostics”. Apparently as far as Irenaeus was concerned, these were the important heresies.

And while Irenaeus commended Polycarp for blasting the heretic Valentinus (who originated the idea that God existed as three hypostases) and Marcion (who tried to do away with the Old Testament, the law, and the sabbath), he apparently did not think that changing the date of the Passover to Sunday (as some Roman bishops did) or the day of worship to Sunday (as Justin advocated) was heretical.

The question is: Was he right?

The answer is simply no.

The proof that Irenaeus gave (as mentioned earlier) was tradition, not scripture. However, based upon the following writing, it might appear that Irenaeus is providing scriptural justification for his position:

The apostles ordained, that “we should not judge any one in respect to meat or drink, or in regard to a feast day, or the new moons, or the sabbaths.” Whence then these contentions? whence these schisms? We keep the feast, but in the leaven of malice and wickedness, cutting in pieces the Church of God; and we preserve what belongs to its exterior, that we may cast away these better things, faith and love. We have heard from the prophetic words that these feasts and fasts are displeasing to the Lord. (Fragments of Irenaeus XXXVIII.)

However, he has misconstrued that scripture. He left off the end of the statement, Colossians 2:17. The verse he left out has been translated:

(Interlinear Transliterated Bible. Copyright (c) 1994 by Biblesoft). Note: The term is does not exist in the original Greek (that is what 9999 represents–a translator added term).

Thus Colossians 2:16-17 literally states:

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body of Christ.

Since the church is “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), this passage is stating to ignore outsiders (those that are not true Christians) as to how the feasts and the sabbaths should be kept, but that the church is the judge.

Notice that Irenaeus did not appeal to vs. 17 that the Roman Church had authority on this over those in Asia Minor–he probably did not do this because almost none outside of Victor thought that the Roman Church had that type of authority (Victor was the first to clearly attempt to actually project Roman Catholic authority to distant areas).

And this is why Irenaeus was possibly the most dangerous heretic. He decided to ignore what the Bible taught, decided that those not faithful to the original teachings were close enough and that both sides had valid views. Irenaeus, like nearly all theologians after him, concluded that certain traditions were of more value than what the Bible (or those faithful to the teachings of the apostles) taught.

The New Testament warned of the same type of problems in Jesus’ day:

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43, NKJV).

And the approval of men was apparently more important to Irenaeus than the truth of God.

While relatively few in the West seem to know much about it, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is gaining increased influence. Notice, for example, the following:

BISHKEK, June 27. /TASS/. Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Zheenbekov said during his speech in the national parliament on Wednesday he considered it necessary to develop all-embracing cooperation with Russia.

“The development of comprehensive ties with our ally and strategic partner – Russia, with which we are bound by the centuries-long friendship and the common historical destiny, which have been tested by time, remains an invariable priority in the foreign policy,” the Kyrgyz president said.

At the same time, Kyrgyzstan is not going to give up cooperation with other states, he noted.

“We have raised cooperation with our closest neighbor, the People’s Republic of China, to the strategic level. Through cooperation with China, it is necessary to achieve the development of the economy and the technological renewal,” the Kyrgyz president said, also pledging to develop “bilateral and multilateral relations” with Turkey, Japan, the United States, member states of the European Union and countries of the Arab world.

The Kyrgyz president also said he considered it necessary to actively use the advantages gained by Kyrgyzstan from its accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

“As an EAEU member, we should maximally use the possibility of exports to the large market and we will develop the country’s transit and production potential,” he noted.

Now the EAEU is gaining influence in places that were NOT once part of the old Soviet Union.

And, US President Donald Trump’s trade policies are part of the reason for that:

China and Eurasian Economic Union Move Closer to Free Trade as the US Retreats Into Self-Defeating Protectionism

On the 17th of May, China and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) signed an agreement to expand trading relations with an aim to create a large and diverse free trading arrangement beginning in 2019. The EAEU is a single market consisting of Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, while the bloc currently has free trade agreements with Vietnam, Egypt and Uzbekistan. Iran has signed a preliminary agreement to begin a provisional free trading relationship with the EAEU while Serbia intends to commence a similar agreement. Indonesian and Thai representatives have also expressed an interest in a free trading relationship with the EAEU. …

What is going on with the EAEU, Russia, and China is consistent with what is prophesied to later happen to them in the Bible:

9 For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against BabylonAn assembly of great nations from the north country,
And they shall array themselves against her;
From there she shall be captured.
Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior;
None shall return in vain. (Jeremiah 50:9)

50:41 Behold, a people shall come from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold the bow and the lance;
They are cruel and shall not show mercy.
Their voice shall roar like the sea;
They shall ride on horses,
Set in array, like a man for the battle,
Against you, O daughter of Babylon. (Jeremiah 50:41-42).

44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. (Daniel 11:44)

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16)

1 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2 “Lift up a banner on the high mountain,Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger–Those who rejoice in My exaltation.” 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters The army for battle. 5 They come from a far country, From the end of heaven–The LORD and His weapons of indignation,To destroy the whole land. 6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand!It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man’s heart will melt, 8 And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames (Isaiah 13:1-8).

The Bible shows that an end time confederation that has a distance to travel–apparently a type of union of powers from the east including Russia, who is also the major power of the far north–will form.

And China, who has remained outside of the EAEU is busily working on making roads that cross all over Asia, including roads in nations part of the EAEU (watch also Is China paving roads to Armageddon?).

World events are aligning with properly understood biblical prophecies.

As Jesus said: “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37).